BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- What are the oldest surviving bars, taverns and other watering holes in Birmingham?

That's the question we have been exploring at establishments across the metro area -- but it's not necessarily an easy one to answer.

In some cases, even the current owners of some of the establishments we've visited are unsure of the full history of their bars or exactly when they opened originally.

Unfortunately, some of the area's oldest watering holes, including the legendary Trussville roadhouse, Velma's Tavern, have closed in recent years.

And that's why we invite our readers to help us. Do you have nominations for the oldest bars or taverns? If so, we want to hear from you, particularly in the comments section of this post.

And this week, as we begin to post our stories about the places we've visited and believe to be among the area's oldest, we invite readers to share memories or anecdotes about those places or to tell us more about their histories.

To help you help us, we should give you some parameters. We have decided to limit the search to bars or taverns only (though some of them may offer a limited food menu).

That means that, for purposes of this search, we are not counting most private clubs, hotel or motel lounges, or full-service restaurants that also have bars.

Don't worry -- we'll be taking a look at those types of establishments at a later date, but for now, we thought we'd keep things as simple as possible.

Here are some of the bars we have visited so far.

We found the little Homewood hideaway, The Red Lion, which has been in existence since about 1962, according to the current owner.

There is also The Plaza or, if you prefer, The Upside Down Plaza, which has been around since 1962 - first at a location now occupied by Hot and Hot Fish Club and, since 1987, in Five Points South.

We visited the legendary Green Lantern, a roadhouse in McCalla that is believed to have been in existence since the 1920s.

And there are other candidates for our list, including the Tide and Tiger on Graymont Avenue and even The Nick, the legendary rock and roll club on Southside that celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2012.

So let us hear from you, and follow us as we take a look at some of the oldest watering holes in Birmingham!